Hidden Talents Among Us

How many times have you come to church and seen a familiar face begin a solo and been delighted by their voice, but never knew they even liked to sing? Or maybe you heard an instrumentalist play for the congregation when you had no idea they even knew how? WUMC is blessed to have many talented individuals whose gifts are continually revealed for us to discover.

All around us are knitters, singers, computer geeks, scrapbookers, gardeners, writers, artists, readers, quilters, guitar players, crafters, painters, handy-people, bakers, organizers, bloggers - and the list goes on! Someone in the pew next to you most likely has a talent that is unknown to you or perhaps you have a gift you have not thought of sharing. However, these talents can not only enrich our church community, but also bring joy to shut-ins, hope for those struggling, and comfort to a baby – perhaps in ways we will never know.

Please consider what talents you may be interested in sharing with WUMC, either as a one-time gift or on a regular basis. Nearly every talent can be put to good use in one of our ministry areas. For example, you might be interested in helping out with our Knitting Ministry, baking for church events or funerals, or helping with audio/visual recordings. So, please let us know if you have a talent to share with our church family! Just leave a message with the church office (634-4800), and the appropriate contact person will be in touch with you.

Spotlight: Teddy Bear's Therapy Ministry

Hello, I’m Teddy Bear and am a Registered Therapy Dog. I’ve been a therapy dog for 5 ½ years. With my Momma’s help (she drove me, put on my special heart collar, etc.), I started going to different places to visit special people at Oakwood. All the residents I visited loved seeing me and thought I was very cute and friendly. I just sit next to their wheelchairs and they pet and pet me. I thought this is easy - all I have to do is sit and be petted to make everyone happy and smile.

I remember one time when momma held me for 20 minutes while a lady petted my paws ‑ she was happy and content. Since I normally don’t like my feet touched, momma gave me a couple of cookies and said I was being a good boy. Well, let’s move on.

Momma started taking me to a couple of new places. I know they are new because all the smells are different! Wow, this is exciting! Momma says on Sundays we are visiting special people at DeGraff Hospital Inpatient Rehab Unit and Buffalo General’s Inpatient Rehab Unit. I visit with patients that are recovering from different conditions. But, truthfully, I really don’t care. For, you see, I’m visiting with them to cheer them up, put a smile on their faces, and be petted, petted, and petted some more! Sometimes, they even pet me with their bad arm and hand, which mom said was wonderful!!

One time, I laid in a patient’s lap for a long, long time (Momma said it was 40 minutes). He was petting me in all my favorite places and I just laid there. The patient was so relaxed that he fell asleep for a few minutes, so I took a nap too. Momma visited with his family about their dogs. They couldn’t believe how good I looked for being almost 11 years old. They also thought I was cute and friendly!

Another place we started going to is St. John the Baptist Hospice Care Center. There, Momma says I provide comfort to those in the later stages of life. I visit with them and sometimes they talk and pet me. Other times, I just curl up on their bed next to them and comfort them. Why, on June 13, I visited with a hospice patient at St. John’s for over an hour. The patient was content and very relaxed while petting me as I took a nap. He was so happy to have me visit with him. When Momma told him we would be back to visit, he said “thank you.” Momma says we get lots of “thank you’s” for our visits, which means more than anything.

Well, Momma says we need to go for now. We make lots of visits, and there is more to tell. But, I’ll have to wait for another time. In the meantime, Momma says I have a birthday coming up - on June 16 I will be 11 years old! In people years, I am about age 60. I may be getting older, but I have a lot of love to give! So, goodbye for now!

Love,
Teddy Bear and Momma (Kathy Meyer)